A Few Quick Looks
by capcha
Summary: A couple glances, a game of chess, a Head's meeting, an interruption, and a kiss. Sorry, I'm bad at summarys. Oneshot.


**Author's Notes: **I know the beginning bit is bad, but I couldn't put it any other way then and I can't know. Maybe my next fic will be better. Let's hope.

---

He watched her as she threw her head back laughing and couldn't help but smile to himself. He loved how she laughed. He loved how she smiled. He loved her deep red hair and her emerald green eyes. He loved everything about her. In short, he loved _her_.

If only she'd give him a chance.

Every time he tried to talk to her she would either ignore him completely or call him a prat and tell him to get over himself.

In spite of that, he still loved her.

He continued watching her over the top of his book. He couldn't tell exactly what she was talking to her two best friends about, but it must've been funny because Lily was still laughing.

Slowly, Lily stopped laughing and got up to use the bathroom. James, not wanting to get caught staring, began to read his book. After about three minutes, Lily was out of the bathroom and walking back to her friends. Once James was sure she was sitting again he chanced another glance, but immediately stared back at the pages in his book.

He could have sworn she was looking at him.

---

Lily was sitting by the common room fire with her friends, Mara and Alice. They were talking about how fake Professor Slughorn's toupee looked and Alice had just made a rather funny joke about it sending Lily into peals of laughter.

To someone else, it would have seemed as though Lily was taking in every word of the conversation, but that wasn't the case. In reality, she was stealing glances at one James Potter.

Last year, she wouldn't have given James the time of day unless it was to yell at him for being a big-headed prat, but this year he seemed to have changed. He stopped asking her out at every possible opportunity and stopped bullying anyone who annoyed him. This year he seemed to have grown up.

Sure, he still made arrogant remarks, but they were all in good humor. Yes, he still ruffled his hair constantly, but Lily realized that it suited him, and he was, even though she hated to admit it, rather attractive.

In fact, James Potter was alright in Lily's opinion.

"Lily…?" Mara said in a singsong voice. "Come back to reality, dear." She snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of her face.

"Huh? What?" Lily asked, coming back from a pleasant day dream she was having.

"I just asked if I could borrow your Charms notes. You see, I was having a nice conversation with Remus today, and I missed something. So can I?" Mara replied, and then a sly grin spread across her face. "So, who is it you were thinking about?" she said teasingly.

"Oh, yeah, of course. I was, err… just thinking about pottery. Not someone... pottery." Lily said, her face reddening.

"Oooh! Who is the apple of your eye, Miss Evans? Is it Amos? I always said you'd make a cute couple, you know," Alice said suggestively.

"Alice, stop playing matchmaker. I wasn't thinking about Amos. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom."

---

On the way back to her friends she took a longer look at James and noticed what he was reading. _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Lily had read this book before but hadn't found it that exciting, though she saw James reading it often.

When she sat back down with her friends, she took one more look at James, only to find him look up at her. She blushed and quickly looked away. When she looked back moments later, she saw him smirking.

Lily engaged in another small conversation with Mara and Alice and then they told her they were heading off to bed. Lily told Mara the notes were on her night stand, and bid them good night.

Shortly after she opened _Hogwarts, a History_, James closed his book and walked over to her. He coughed and she looked up at him.

When James saw her blushing, he smirked. He didn't really know why she was blushing, but he thought it was funny how her face was starting to blend in with her hair.

Once again he started reading his book. He had read the book many times before, but he still found it interesting.

James would constantly go back to this book to see if there was something he missed or a strategy he could use in the next Quidditch match to help his team win, but it was always the same. James knew the book front to back and could quote it on demand, if ever needed.

---

James had just started on the sixth chapter when he realized he couldn't hear Lily's voice anymore. He looked up to see if she had gone to bed, but instead found her still sitting, now reading a book. He figured her friends had already gone to bed, but didn't think much of it, since his main focus was her. He thought she looked so cute, sitting there with her furrowed brow, rereading _Hogwarts, a History_ for the hundredth time.

After enjoying the sight for a few moments, James started reading again but found himself needing to talk to Lily, and without thinking, he closed his book and marched right up to her.

Lily was reading about the security works of Hogwarts when someone nearby coughed, so she looked up to see who it was.

"Hello, James."

"Hi, Lily. Listen, I was wondering if, err, I could… get your help on some, err, Transfiguration." James mentally scolded himself. He was rather good at Transfiguration, and she knew that.

"Uh huh. What do you really want?" she asked. _Don't ask me out, James, don't. Don't ruin the progress you've made, _Lily thought.

He smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to talk to you, Lily. How are you this evening?" James said while taking a seat on the couch across from Lily.

"I'm doing quite fine, thanks. How do you fare?"

"I'm great, now that I'm talking to you."

"Don't be so cheesy, James." Lily threw a pillow at him.

They sat for a while in silence, and finally James spoke again.

"So…do you want to-"

"No," Lily said flatly. _Real nice, James. Ruin it all, _she thought.

James looked hurt. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to play some wizard chess."

"Oh. Err…alright." Lily's cheeks flushed as James got the chess board.

"White or black?"

"White," Lily said. Once the pieces set themselves, the game began.

"You know," Lily started, "we need to have a head's meeting soon."

"How about now. We're here and have time to talk," James suggested as he moved his pawn.

"Alright. We need to set a meeting with the prefects to schedule patrolling times. When do you think would be a good date?"

"So, you finally agreed to set a date with Prongs, eh, Evans?" Sirius said as he came through the portrait hole and sat in a chair next to the couple. "It's about time, really. Now I don't have to listen to him complain about you rejecting him."

At this, James' face turned a bright pink. He gave a small laugh. "I think that's enough, Padfoot. I'm trying to have a meeting with Lily," James said, giving Sirius a look that clearly said _Leave_.

"Yeah, I see that. I'm sure you're quite chuffed with yourself, having finally got Evans. I'm going to go write your mummy," Sirius teased as he made his way to get out of the common room.

Lily, who had been watching the scene in amusement, found herself suppressing a giggle because James was now looking at where Sirius had been with a look of embarrassment and anger, making him look like an ape.

James seemed frozen in this position and Lily finally cracked.

"What are you laughing bout?" he asked.

"Your…face…" she said as she tried to regain her composure.

James ruffled his hair. "Sorry?" He didn't quite understand why his face would be funny. He started rubbing his face as he moved his knight.

"You made a face that made you look like a caveman." Lily started laughing again, and James' ego only deflated more.

"Thanks," he said dully.

"It's always a pleasure," she replied cheekily. "Now. About that date. When are you free?"

"What!" James jerked his head up from the board. Surely she didn't mean… "Oh. Right. The meeting. Err… when are you free?" James groaned as Lily's knight took his rook.

"Pretty much anytime. You're the one on the Quidditch team. That's why I asked you. I don't want one of your practices interfering with a meeting. Check."

"Well, we have practice on Thursday, so not then," he said as he moved his king out of harm's way.

"Bad move," Lily said as she took his queen. "Is this Wednesday good?"

"Yeah. What time and where?"

"Seven-ish and…I don't know. Checkmate." She folded her arms across her chess and sat back in her chair.

James looked dumbly at the chessboard. "Yeah…that's great…" He watched her queen take out his king. "How did you beat me?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I study the board. I think it through. You, on the other hand, rush."

"Play me again," he demanded.

"No, James. I'm getting pretty tired. I think I'm going to go to bed." She started to head for the girls' dormitories, but James pulled her back.

"Lily, would you just sit with me for a while?" He gave her his best puppy dog face and patted the cushion next to him. Lily seemed to consider this for a bit and then finally made her way to the seat beside James.

"Lily?" James asked after minutes of silence. "You're beautiful, you know," he said, looking down at her.

"No, I'm not. And don't start with that." She was trying to be sincere, but a smile was fighting to escape from her lips.

"Well, you are, really. And you're clever, too. Beauty and brains."

"James…" Lily said, unable to keep the smile away any longer.

"You have a beautiful smile, too. I love making you smile," he said, smiling down at her.

Lily just looked at him, giving him a sweet smile, while mentally begging him to stop and continue at the same time.

"I also love your laugh. The way your hair bounces. It drives me mad."

"You're very sweet, James," she said, now leaning into him a bit. "I always thought you were an arrogant prat, but you turned out to be an alright guy." She looked up at him. "In fact, you are quite likable." Lily turned back to the glowing embers in the fireplace.

After a few moments, James spoke again. "Lily?"

She turned her head once more to see what James wanted, but instead met his lips with hers. She found herself in a sweet, soft, firm lingering kiss.

When James pulled away, Lily stayed locked firmly in place. "Sorry. Couldn't help…" He trailed off incoherently and moved to leave but Lily pulled him back. All he managed to do was say, "Wha-" before he got pulled in a kiss. This time it was long, passionate, lasting kiss. When they finished they sat back into the couch with satisfied smirks spread across both their faces.

"Lily"

"Yes?"

"Go to Hogsmeade with me."

"No."

James, who had been smiling, glanced at Lily and then did a double-take when her words hit him. His smile quickly fell and was immediately replaced by a look of confusion.

"What!" he yelped. "You'll kiss me, but you won't go out with me?" he asked, giving her an incredulous look. "You're joking, right? Please, tell me you're joking."

"Of course I am," she said, hitting him on the arm. "James Potter, there is nothing I would love more than to go out with you." And with that, Lily gave James one last kiss and then went to bed.

****

**The End**

**Author's Notes: **So there you have it. My first fic. I hope you didn't die in pain from the awfulness of it. So tell me, was it good? Bad? Disgusting? okay? Amateur?

I welcome criticism and flames. I want to improve and be at least an okay writer. I understand that the ending was a bit forced, my beta reader told me so, and we discussed it, but I am no good at dragging it out any longer. Ten pages is enough for me.

Once again, Thank you vea.


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